Coming Home to the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

Author:Debbie Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008263720
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2017-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

It’s Parents’ Evening.

Words that strike fear and sadness into my heart for a variety of reasons. Mainly, because I shouldn’t be doing this – Kate should. Kate should be here to see her daughter growing up, and it is still insane that she’s not. Nights like this always remind me of how completely screwed up this whole situation is; and I miss her even more than usual. In years past, I’ve simply heard second-hand from Kate how things went – the academic progress, the praise, the warnings, all wrapped up in Kate’s amusing story-telling style. This time, it’s all down to me.

As far as I know, her new college life has been going smoothly. I know Lizzie would usually adhere to the teen code of not snitching, but I also know she would have told Laura if anything serious had gone wrong. Like Martha actually getting off the bus after it left the village, and spending her days Breaking Bad in rural Dorset.

There have been no nasty letters or terse voicemails on my phone from Martha’s teachers, so I have been assuming that she hasn’t burned down the drama studio, stolen anything, or punched the head master in the face. But what do I know? Maybe they’ve been saving it all up for tonight.

My interactions with Martha’s educators haven’t exactly been cordial thus far, so it’s understandable that I’m feeling nervous. I’m also nervous because Cal is coming with me. Cal, who is her father, I remind myself – and thus has every right to come to Parents’ Evening. Being, you know, an actual parent and all.

He’d asked my permission first, but I could hardly say no, could I? Especially when he paired it with a comment along the lines of, ‘I’ve never had the chance before.’ Laura thought it was a brilliant idea, but then again she would – despite the sadness of losing her husband a few years ago, I’ve never met anyone with such a belief in happy endings.

“It’ll be lovely,” she says, beaming. “Having him there to support you. The ones I did without David were awful – it was all I could do not to burst into tears while I was sitting on the naughty chair. It just felt so wrong to be there alone – and anyway, Martha will secretly be pleased.”

I knew she was right, but I still didn’t feel one hundred per cent good about it. Having Cal there for support was something I couldn’t afford to get used to. Cal might currently be super-dad and the apple of everyone’s eye – but Cal would be leaving. I can’t let myself rely on him.

I try and hide my reservations, as Martha sees us off from the cottages. She’s arranged a sleepover with Lizzie at Hyacinth House tonight, which really does cheer me up. Her and Lizzie have a lot in common – they’re both girls from big cities who were dragged away to live in the back of beyond; both have lost a parent, and both use way too much eyeliner.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.